Tuesday, July 19, 2011

1998 Taylors St. Andrews Shiraz

Rated No. 1 in the Great Australian Shiraz Challenge in 2001. More bling on the bottle than Lady GaGa.

Let's cut straight to the chase - this is f$&@$&g good. Last night we drank the '04 version of this wine (see previous post) and were super impressed. So much so, we thought let's get the '98 version a run (that was reputably from an equivalent and excellent vintage) and compare.

Wow!! These guys know what they are doing. While we haven't tried everything, for 55 bucks (purchased 3 weeks ago) I'm not sure what else you can expect. The colour is still dark. On the nose the plum and black fruit is still there and mint and chocolate are developing. I'd be happy to sit here and smell it all night, just magnificent. While the palate is approachable now, the tannins remain. Not over the top, but with lovely mouthfeel. a persistent and beautifully balanced finish.

A number. My only criticism from the '04 was that perhaps the palate lacked some tannin, which I like. This wine is better in every aspect, it has colour, a powerful and expressive nose, a magnificent finish and some tannin. The nose for me is the standout, top class.

94/100 is where we have settled. Not sure why other than it is better than The '04. If 95 is "extraordinary and exceptional", this is getting up there. If you can still get this for $55, ridiculously good value.

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